Bad Hotel
The brothers Hoss and Joe Cartwright arrived late in the evening in Spokane. They had dealt with some businesses for their ranch the Ponderosa and were forced to spent the night somewhere. Finally they found a hotel.
“Joe, shall we just sleep here? I’m tired and very hungry. You know how moody I am when my stomach is empty”, said Hoss.
“Then you are really not enjoyable. I am tired too. We go to sleep here”, answered his brother.
They dismounted off their horses and brought the animals to the stable livery.
In the hotel Joe asked, “Do you have a room for us for 1 night?”
The young receptionist looked into the guest book and answered, “Yes, we do. That is then 100 dollar.”
“Are you out of your mind with such an amount for a room?”, Joe asked indignant.
“We happen to be a very excellent hotel”, reacted the receptionist.
“We take the room! The name is Cartwright and here is your money”, Hoss said peevish.
He threw the money on the counter and got the key.
“Your room is number 20 and on the 3rd floor”, said the receptionist.
Joe got the key and went with his brother 3 steep stairs up. The stairs also had a few bends.
Arrived at their room Hoss said, “It is just as good that Mitchy isn’t here. These stairs are nothing for him at this moment or whenever.”
Mitchy was the 4 year old son of their older brother Adam who was recovering from a serious accident at home.
“Sure do. I dare to bet that pa and Adam are spoiling him very much. And not to forget Hop Sing”, said Joe.
Hop Sing was their loyal Chinese cook.
“Hop Sing always makes the most delicious things when we are away”, was the reaction of Hoss.
He opened the door and came into a little hallway with 2 doors. Here after Hoss opened a door at his left and came into the bedroom. Joe followed his brother and looked around.
“What a bad room. So here we must pay 100 dollar for”, he said indignant.
“Is breakfast actually included?”, asked Hoss.
“No idea. I will go and ask it”, answered Joe.
He went downstairs again.
Hoss inspected the bed room for missing things and could at 1st sight easily name a whole list. But also the bath room had many complains. There was no soap, dirty towels and a bath tub with a lot of cracks and dirt in it. The wall tills were broken and dirty.
“Dadburnit, what a dirty bath room”, Hoss said to himself.
He went back to the bed room where the list with complaints got written down en became much longer.
At the reception desk Joe asked, “When is breakfast?”
“That is in the morning and it costs 14 dollar per person. Please pay cash”, said the de receptionist.
“Fourteen dollar per person for breakfast? You really don’t think that we are so stupid to pay that for a hovel that you dare to call a hotel room?”, Joe asked indignant.
The youngest Cartwright brother went back to the room without waiting for an answer.
“Hoss, I have very bad news for you. There is a breakfast but that costs 14 dollar per person. I am not willing to pay that and neither are you for sure”, Joe said when he was back with his brother again.
“Have they become totally loony? Ask 14 dollar for 21 breakfast and 100 dollar for a bed room with many failings and a very dirty bath room”, reacted Hoss.
He showed his brother the list of complaints.
“Wow, what a list. And then they dare to ask such ridiculous prices for their service. Just let’s go to bed. The sooner it is morning and the sooner we can leave this hovel”, said Joe.
So said, so done.
The beds were very bad and the blankets had holes in them.
Hoss kept a blanket up and said, “According to them this is a blanket. You just can look through it.”
“It are look through blankets”, reacted Joe.
They laughed despite the seriousness of their room. The brothers were very tired and fell fast asleep.
The following morning Hoss and Joe left very early the worst hotel where they have ever stayed. Both had resolved themselves to avoid Spokane.